Off... to Spellhold!

Sjerrie

I hope this is in the right place.

Well. I usually plan pretty much from the start who I'll be bringing with me to Spellhold, which of course is the start of a relatively big portion of the game where you can't switch NPCs at the drop of a hat. I'm about to finish the last few sidequests of chapter 2 and I realized I don't have a 6th man/woman to take with me yet. Kinda freaking out already, lol.

I'm looking for suggestions. Current party is me (fighter/mage multi), Minsc, Jaheira, Neera (romanced) and Yoshimo

(to be replaced with Imoen).

I'm more a roleplayer than anything else, on a 'good-hearted-guy' playthrough, but a complementary classed person could be nice I guess. I have both the banter pack and Unfinished Business installed.

Wanderon

I'd take Jan - for his thief skills.

Sjerrie

You know (and this is not a joke about his size) I kind of 'misplaced' Jan I think... He wasn't at his spot in the government district. I don't remember the conversation I had with him, if any, but is it possible for him to disappear if you say the wrong thing?

Yoshimo I feel has good enough thief stats right now to get me to Spellhold, but I'll take Jan into consideration. If I ever find him again. xD

Wanderon

In your first conversation if you don't back him up (that he was not selling stuff) when the tax guy comes he gets arrested and you have to go to the prison and bail him out if you want to use him - might be a time limit?

I was thinking more about for after spellhold

IMO Imoen doesn't have enough thief skills for the parties only thief and of course there's an issue with Yoshimo at spellhold.

Sjerrie

Didn't know that @Wanderon, thanks. Checked the prison though and he's not there. Oh well...

I have a few thief-enhancing items Imoen might use... between those and the knock and find trap spells I'm willing to give it a go.

Dorn is off the table since he's a bloodthirsty demon-worshipper (that and I 'accidentally' killed him when we met up...) and Rasaad is too, since he chose to stay at the Heretics' place. I absolutely love Keldorn, but I have never had the heart to tear him away from his family, and I think Anomen is a pompous ass. (I really should take him with me on at least one of my playthroughs though... does he mellow at all? While romanced for instance?)

I am seriously considering Cernd, both because I don't find him as annoying as everyone else seems to and I could use more divine spellcasting (maybe... is that necessary?). This way Jaheira could take care of offensive divine and Cernd could be defense/healer.

Haer'Dalis, meh, I think between Neera, Imoen and myself I have enough arcane power and I'm not sure I can equip him in a way to make him useful in melee. Would he fit though personality-wise?

When I picked up Korgan to do his quest I immediately remembered why I loved the guy in my very first playthrough back in the day. With an axe in hand he went through spiders and undead like they were pudding.

Valygar Maaaybe. I seriously dislike his attitude that magic is evil instead of the wielder, but he might be useful with his backstab. And since I have Unfinished business i'm curious to see where this thing with Suna Seni is going (even though I know how it ends).

Aerie is a sweet thing, but so insecure. But maybe that is why taking her along would be good for her. Also, divine spellcaster. She needs serious protection though.

I'm taking Hexxat on my next (evil) playthrough, and other than that I can't think of any serious pros or cons for Mazzy and Viconia. Except that Viconia is evil and I can't 'redeem' her. Note that I made Mazzy a true paladin (undead hunter).

Maybe Wilson? Does he have ANY banter or interjections?

TheZodiak

Mazzy has serious pros. She has 5 points on Shortbows and your party is lacking a good ranged. She also has a loosy mouth... i like her. I don't know why you made her a paladin.

IMO Viconia is a character that has to be picked up in a good party even if her alignment is evil. rpg wise she is not evil at all. I would never pick her up in an evil group... let her burn.

I think the best addition to your group is Valygar. He brings stuff on the table that you don't have already.

Sjerrie

TheZodiak said:

Mazzy has serious pros. She has 5 points on Shortbows and your party is lacking a good ranged. She also has a loosy mouth... i like her. I don't know why you made her a paladin.

I like her too. I made her a paladin because if it weren't for the racial restrictions in 2e she'd probably be one. Role-play: after vanquishing the evil shadelord Arvoreen granted her wish. Presto, paladin with special skill to combat more shades (hence the undead hunter). Also I like characters who go against the norm.

IMO Viconia is a character that has to be picked up in a good party even if her alignment is evil. rpg wise she is not evil at all. I would never pick her up in an evil group... let her burn.

I agree that she's not that evil. Not like Dorn anyway. There's a difference between not caring about those who can't fend for themselves and actively sacrificing them. She's more like the first. I once romanced her with a paladin who saw her good side, but for this party I'm not so sure. Still, a cleric is a cleric and there is arguably no better one.

I think the best addition to your group is Valygar. He brings stuff on the table that you don't have already.

I think he might really contribute yeah. Too bad he is so vocal about his hatred of magic. I have seen conversations where he is downright mean to my Neera.

Sjerrie

Got genuinely curious about this @TheZodiak:

TheZodiak said:

IMO Viconia is a character that has to be picked up in a good party even if her alignment is evil. rpg wise she is not evil at all. I would never pick her up in an evil group... let her burn.

If you're playing evil, who's your divine spellcaster and/or healer, if not Viconia? And why?

TheZodiak

I most of the time decide to chose PC as cleric because bg2 lacks supportive npcs for evil groups. If i would go for an npc only anomen is left.

What would i give for a priest of talos npc! Maybe there is a mod to let anomen become one, when he fails his quest?

Sjerrie

TheZodiak said:

What would i give for a priest of talos npc! Maybe there is a mod to let anomen become one, when he fails his quest?

You can easily give him the kit, though I usually make him a berserker when he fails.

booinyoureyes

Hey Sjerrie! I hope you are enjoying your play-through
I would actually also recommend Mazzy. I made her an Undead Hunter too (would make sense after the whole Shadow King storyline). She's fun and fits your party balance well.
I noticed no one mentioned Nalia who is another option. I find her a bit annoying without her romance mod, but she may fit party balance mechanics-wise (thought you say you have enough magic)

Seems like Mazzy is your best choice, since she can use her bow then go up against the copious amounts of undead you will have to later face

Sjerrie

@booinyoureyes very much so! I am already planning multiple future playthroughs lol.

Completely forgot about Nalia... Maybe that's a sign. She is a good mage I agree, but since I usually use her in almost exactly the same way as Imoen (mage with a bow) and where Imoen has better thief skills I don't think Nalia will add anything interesting from Spellhold onward. Certainly not her personality.

There are actually two romance mods for Nalia, are there not? Do you know which is the better one? In one of my next (planned) playthroughs she'd fit perfectly as the romantic interest.

booinyoureyes

Here you go! http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php?board=12.0

This is the one I'm currently playing and enjoying. It also opens up the Keep stronghold for ALL classes, and expands it!
Enjoy! It is really good.

Sjerrie

Thanks! Too bad there's no ToB content for it yet. She'll still fit perfectly as my "noble-themed" party. (Charname cavalier, Keldorn, Anomen, Nalia...)

I'm also thinking we need a Mazzy romance. :-p

Sjerrie

Finished my work for Aran Linvail with Mazzy in my party and she was doing great against the vampires. She'll come along to Spellhold and beyond.

I do need to find/play a party where Valygar would fit some other time. How do you even do that without him bitching how *magic* is evil to my spellcasters? Food for thought for next time. (But don't hold back with tips lol)

booinyoureyes

I definitely agree on the Mazzy romance!

You may want to try the "friendship mods". They add dialogue between some NPCs and the protagonist, and are quite good, making them *feel* like your friends. They exist for Mazzy, Imoen, Viconia, Yoshimo and Sarevok

Wanderon

Valygar backs off from his stance quite a bit once you finish the Sphere with him and becomes much more likeable and be sure to have Mazzy along when you take him.

She makes him her "squire" - it's hilarious!

Sjerrie

Wanderon said:

Valygar backs off from his stance quite a bit once you finish the Sphere with him and becomes much more likeable and be sure to have Mazzy along when you take him.

She makes him her "squire" - it's hilarious!

I know he does mellow, but at the same time he's still a bit of a sourpuss. Maybe he'll fit in my coming "noble-themed" playthough...

The bit about Mazzy making him her squire, I remember it from looong ago, and to me it seemed a bit condescending to be honest. He seems to be relatively fine with it, but still, a bit presumptious of her... maybe?

Wanderon

I think Mazzy is perfectly in character myself as a Halfling wanna-be Paladin and for that matter so is Valygar both in his general demeanor (based on the centuries of BS magic and mages have put his family through and what had to be done to resolve it) and also in his response to Mazzy and her "plan".

I think it's one of the highlights of the game! :-)

Sjerrie

I'm currently in Suldanessellar and Mazzy never left my party. We're doing great and now that she has earned a few more proficiency points I also have someone to wield Carsomyr (even though a halfling with a two-hander looks a bit silly...)

If I get her and Valygar together on my future "noble-themed" playthrough I might still have to drop one of them though, since I think it'll get quite fighter-heavy otherwise.